


Betrothed

by dkw70



Category: Sherlock (TV)
Genre: Alpha Greg, Alpha John, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Arranged Marriage, Biting, Kidlock, M/M, Omega Mycroft, Omega Sherlock, Omega Verse, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Teenlock, betrothal
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-06-28
Updated: 2016-03-12
Packaged: 2018-04-06 15:13:02
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 14,124
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4226661
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dkw70/pseuds/dkw70
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>At birth some families seek to have their Alpha, Betas and Omega offspring placed into arranged betrothals.  For Greg, Mycroft, John and Sherlock their lives become entwined through their parents wishes for them to be betrothed.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Greg

Greg grimaced and shifted uncomfortably on the seat feeling like he was wearing a straight-jacket in the shirt and tie he had been forced to put on again. He hated doing this, he would much rather be out with his friends down at the beach or riding his bike around instead of being stuck in the car for over two hours with his siblings traveling from their sunny home in Somerset to the university town of Oxford.

When he had been born, similarly with his younger sister and brother, their parents had paid a large sum of money to a business that arranged betrothals. It was mainly for Alpha and Omega betrothals but there were also Betas who sought out arranged betrothals though few were actually selected. For the Alpha it meant ensuring that one day a suitable Omega would become their bond-mate and provide heirs, for the Omega it meant until the day they bonded to their chosen mate the betrothal would provide protection against unwanted attention from other Alpha’s to a high degree. 

An arranged betrothal was considered old-fashioned by many. Betrothing at a young age, usually no younger than 12, was desirable so that both the Alpha and Omega could spend time getting to know each other under the watchful eye of family members. Any kind of sexual contact was strictly forbidden between the betrothed pair until they formally married, and then a pseudo-heat would be triggered in the Omega for the wedding night so that the chemical bonding and consummation through mating could occur. An Omega was expected to remain virtuous though an Alpha was permitted, discreetly of course, to take care of their urges and sow their wild oats until they were bonded.

As far as selections went it was the Omega, in consultation with their parents, who did the actual choosing as to who they deemed worthy of mating to and breeding with. Usually the parents selected quite a few who they believed to be suitable prospective Alphas and then the Alphas and their families were extended an invitation to attend a betrothal selection which usually involved a morning or afternoon tea. Those not chosen were sent away and then the chosen Alpha and family remained behind to make arrangements.

He’d been dragged off to one other betrothal selection the moment he had turned 14 in June and had escaped being chosen but at least he knew what to expect. His parents had been quite excited until meeting the Omegas parents who were extremely rude and made it clear despite having selected him themselves that Greg had simply not been good enough for their darling who was not exactly the brightest, in fact she had been as dumb as a wooden pole and he had heard his Mum muttering that the parents would be a pain in the arse to deal with. The last one had been a morning tea; this one was an afternoon tea…..he hoped at least the food was good and he could leave un-betrothed like last time.

It was all very boring and formal, he supposed one day he might want to bond with an Omega and have a brood of pups but it wasn’t something he dwelt upon yet, he hadn’t even decided whether he wanted to become a pastry chef or a police officer let alone be saddled with a betrothed mate to have to think about. Then there was the issue as to the Omega themselves, what if he or she were one of those needy pathetic types, or one who expected him to act like his one of friends Alpha sire and be a dictatorial wanker. Jordan’s Dad dominated his home with both fist and authority; his Omega wasn’t allowed to work and was pregnant again with their ninth pup. His other friend Michael had an Alpha Mum who let her Omega rule the roost, Jordan said his Dad would have beaten shit out of an Omega like that.

Greg’s Dad might growl at them and they’d had the slap across the arse when they deserved it but he had never physically abused his pups, their Omega Mum or prevented her from working. She ran their tea-shop and bakery side by side with their Dad and had been the one to suggest she go on birth control heat suppressants to prevent any more pregnancies declaring she wasn’t a brood mare and the three pups she had given him more than generous.

Far too soon Oxford loomed and his Dad turned off before they got to the historical town and they drove through the countryside past large homes, driving down a short curved gravel driveway to come to a stop behind five other cars that were parked there. 

“Holy crap, look at the size of the house!” exclaimed Joseph eyes wide at the large home painted a rosy pink.

“These ones are rich by the look of it.” offered Melissa just as surprised.

“I don’t care if the Queen herself lives here.” muttered Greg “Besides, all the rich knobs that come stay in the fancy resorts are normally rude twats.”

“Gregory James Lestrade, you mind your mouth!” admonished his Mum “I want you all on your best behaviour, do you understand?”

Greg chimed in with his brother and sister agreeing to behave while Dad gave them a warning glance. Reluctantly he got out of the car and stretched out his limbs, the perfumed smell of mowed grass and nearby roses had replaced the salty sea smell of home and it was even warmer here because there was no sea breeze.

“For goodness sake look at your hair Greg.” rebuked his Mum frowning at him before rummaging through her bag and pulling out a comb.

“Muuu-uuum.” whined Greg as she tried to tidy his hair.

“It will have to do, you really needed to get a hair-cut.” she said reprovingly.

Greg narrowed his eyes at his siblings who were trying not to giggle at him. He poked his tongue out at them the moment his Mum turned her back then messed his hair up again when they got to the front door. 

He expected a butler to answer the door, but before his Dad had even knocked it was thrown open by a skinny and fair skinned boy with a mop of black curls aged about 5 or 6 whose pale eyes flicked over them and then rested upon Greg.

“Hello there.” greeted his father “I’m Jamie Lestrade, we have been invited to…….”

The door slammed closed before his father could say any more.

Both Melissa and Joseph tittered at the antics of the young Omega child.

“Well, that’s that then…..can we go now?” asked Greg hopefully but the door swung open again to reveal a stunning Alpha with the same coloured eyes as the young Omega who had slammed the door.

“I am so sorry for my son’s rudeness.” apologised the Alpha holding out her hand to his Dad “I’m Victoria Holmes and you must be the Lestrade family?”

“How do you do I’m Jamie Lestrade, this is my mate Fiona and my children Gregory, Melissa and Joseph.” replied his Dad shaking her hand. 

“Lovely to meet you Fiona.” said Mrs Holmes warmly and held out her hand which bonded Alphas normally didn’t do to bonded Omegas.

“And you Victoria.” responded his mother politely taking the Alphas hand and also shaking it.

“Won’t you please come in.” asked Mrs Holmes stepping back, her pale blue eyes went from his mother who entered first followed by his Dad to Greg who stood back so his younger brother and sister could enter first.

He smiled back at the Alpha shyly as she gave him a broad smile.

The inside of the house was anything but ostentatious. It was rich looking but welcoming. There were many scents in the home…..territorial scent markings of the Alpha, the scent of a paternal Omega.....Earl Grey tea, freshly cut flowers and the aroma of baking.

“Gingerbread….Bakewell Tarts.” murmured Greg “Shortbreads……ouch!!”

The young Omega who had slammed the front door now appeared from nowhere and gave him a kick to the shin as they entered a large lounge room.

“Sherlock!” growled Mrs Holmes sounding outraged.

Greg grabbed the little bugger by his shirt collar before he could scarper.

“Hey that wasn’t very nice, was it?” said Greg in a gentle voice so as not to frighten the younger pup who glared at him.

“You come with me right now, young man.” growled Mrs Holmes, scruffing the Devil Child who went rigid and let out a blood curdling scream like he was being murdered.

The noise brought a dog bounding into the lounge room barking its head off to add to the noise.

“Do be quiet, Redbeard.” admonished Mrs Holmes frowning as the Spawn of the Devil broke free and both he and his Hound of Hell ran for it.

Mrs Holmes looked absolutely appalled and embarrassed. Both Melissa and Joseph began giggling.

“Well, it’s nice to know it isn’t just our home that sounds like bedlam at times.” chuckled his Mum shaking her head “Irish Setter, nice dogs…..we have a Jack Russell named Penny, she’s getting on in years now but it hasn’t made her any less feisty.”

“Sherlock is a handful, quite willful most of the time.” said Mrs Holmes apologetically at Greg.

“It’s ok.” reassured Greg wondering what the heck the Omega he had come to see was like, if he was anything like his younger brother then he prayed he was just written off as not good enough or the Omega chose one of the other Alphas that had come.

“Shall we go out into the courtyard, it’s a lovely day and it seems a waste to be cooped up inside.” said Mrs Holmes ushering them along.

The courtyard held five other families here for the same reason, to have their Alpha offspring be presented to the Holmes Omega for a prospective betrothal. There was forced politeness from the other families as each sized the other up. 

The Hamilton family were clearly moneyed like the Holmes family were; their 14 year old Alpha son Julian was the typical rich snot and the rest of the family snooty. 

The Welch family were upper middle class; their 13 year old Alpha daughter Sophia seemed fine but appeared to want to be anywhere but here. 

The Brinkworth family were also clearly moneyed; their 16 year old Alpha son Alexander made Greg’s skin crawl when his almost violet coloured eyes looked Greg up and down. 

The Parkes Family made Greg grin, they were alternative hippy types; their 15 year old Beta daughter was named Moonbeam. 

The Gee family were very nice, they were working class like Greg’s family and their 12 year old Alpha son Lěi greeted Greg like an old friend.

Formalities over, it was time for the Omega to be presented and Mrs Holmes disappeared back into the house.

“I don’t like our Greg’s chances, Fiona.” he heard his Dad whisper to his Mum “I think he’ll be overlooked in favour of one of the wealthy families, that Brinkworth lad is very handsome.”

“Pffft.” his Mum muttered under her breath “Not all Omega’s choose based on looks, and my boy is good looking….he has a good heart too……that Brinkworth Alpha is trouble, I’m telling you.”

Greg hoped Lěi Gee was chosen, and if not him then Moonbeam. He didn’t like the others; he wouldn’t want them as his Alpha if he were an Omega.

The dark haired Devil Child came stomping out, a pout on his lips as he gave a disdainful stare at each of the other Alphas before giving Greg a glare as he snatched up a piece of Victoria Sponge from the table set with cake stands of sandwiches, pastries and cakes.

He had expected a skinny, dark haired petulant but older Spawn of Satan in the Omega who was to be presented. Instead Mrs Holmes, and he assumed Mr Holmes since he had his hands resting on the shoulders of the Omega between them, brought with them a tall but chubby 14 year old dressed in a suit like the other rich people here. His hair was an usual colour; it's auburn hue glinted in the sun both with orange and red and like the younger brothers was curly. The Omega’s eyes were downcast and his face was devoid of any expression. He kinda felt sorry for the Omega who clearly didn't want to be here either, it couldn't be much fun for him either being presented to a bunch of Alphas and Betas.

“I’d like to present my son, Mycroft Timothy Edward Holmes.” said Mrs Holmes “And my Omega Sherrinford Holmes who has been busy preparing a lovely afternoon tea.”

Looking over at the afternoon tea table, Greg couldn’t wait to try one of the Eccles Cakes Mr Holmes had made, the pastry looked very buttery and light…..at least they wouldn’t go hungry while Mycroft picked one of the others to become betrothed to.


	2. Mycroft

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for the lovely comments and generous kudos. I had this idea pop up in my head of an Omegaverse meets a kind of Edwardian/Victorian/Elisabethan era of arranged matches, courtship, marriage etc still continuing through to modern times. Going to be interesting to write, and I love the thought of a posh and proper Mycroft being wooed by a clueless Greg. Still deciding how to approach the John/Sherlock love match :-)

Mycroft lifted his head as his younger brother darted in and flung himself onto his bed to regard him solemnly while hanging upside down.

“Ugh the house stinks of Alphas.” reported Sherlock wrinkling his nose “So far four Alphas and one Beta, three male and two female….all but one of the Alphas I wouldn’t touch with a bargepole, there is still one Alpha left to arrive.”

“I keep hoping if I turn them all down our parents will give up.” sighed Mycroft unhappily wishing for the millionth time he’d been born an Alpha or Beta “But I think it isn’t going to deter them at all, a Beta? Why did they include a Beta?”

He had known one day he would be required to select a betrothed. This was the fourth betrothal selection his parents had held over the last 8 weeks, the ones invited to their home had been chosen carefully but thus far none had piqued his interest. He had very little interest in bonding to anyone, while his Father was lucky to find a wonderful Alpha in his Mum he doubted many were like her. Their bonding had been an arranged betrothal except his Father had been given no choice; theirs had been struck as a business agreement. 

Mummy’s family, the Holmes’, had wanted to buy the land his Fathers family owned for a new farming venture, Fathers family farm had been run into the ground by his Alpha father who had enormous debts having sunk to gambling and drinking when his Omega had died..…his Grandfather, Richard, had literally sold his own Omega son with the land to get him off his hands, his Father’s Alpha brother Uncle Rudy had already been disowned for having what polite society deemed ‘perverted tastes’ meaning he liked to wear female clothes and preferred Alpha partners instead of Omegas and Betas. 

His Grandfather had died a lonely, destitute drunk. His Father had turned his back on Richard and cut him off with the Holmes’ blessing though Grandfather had approached the Holmes’ for more money several times; his Mummy had used a private investigator and found Uncle Rudy who once again became part of a family, his eccentricities accepted as just being Uncle Rudy. Mycroft quite liked Uncle Rudy, he was funny and kind. Sherlock adored the Alpha who brought him sweets and smuggled in small dead animals for his nephew to dissect and examine. 

“Who cares, you aren’t seriously going to choose one of the idiots are you?” asked Sherlock incredulously sitting upright “Why not go and hide up a tree like I’m going to do when Mummy and Father start bringing around the goldfish for courting.”

“Courting presumes a willingness to enter into a relationship, I am not willing and I doubt an Alpha who is sure of bonding and breeding me upon turning 18 is hardly going to bother wooing me for my affections or showering me with flowers and trinkets.” said Mycroft bitterly “And then my life will consist of domestic duties, pregnancy, whining pups, servitude and boredom since the balance of probability will be that I am not allowed to work, what would you have me do, Sherlock, a choice has to be made eventually”

Many Alphas didn’t like a smart Omega, it threatened their beliefs they were superior. He had found that out at three years of age when he’d been punched in the nose by a four year old Alpha he had corrected in nursery school. The Alpha teacher had been unsympathetic and reminded him it was unseemly for an Omega to correct their betters. Mummy had removed him from the nursery school and had home-schooled him until he reached secondary school age. He had sat the entrance examination for an independent school in Oxford at 11 which had been ridiculously easy; then completed a second examination that the Headmaster had sneeringly placed before him….again, ridiculously easy. 

Much to the Headmasters disdain had been placed in fifth form instead of with his peer cohort and even then he had dumbed himself down in order to get in and gain the marks for University since Mummy had said it was highly unlikely a University would take a 13 year old Omega no matter how intelligent….however, she could pull strings when he turned 16 to get him into Oxford if he had the secondary grades to gain entry. It would give him two years to gain the degrees he wanted until he turned 18 though really they would be useless when spending his days arranging flowers and changing soiled nappies. 

Sherlock shot off the bed going to the window as another car crunched along the driveway bringing the last family to the betrothal selection. 

“Working class.” commented Sherlock “Messy hair…..no suit jacket…..ugh, ohhhhh, he’s…….”

“What?” asked Mycroft frowning at his brother when he went suddenly silent with his face pressed up against the glass, taken aback when his brother rapidly tore out of the room.

Mycroft got up and went to the window to peer out but couldn’t see what had made his brother go silent and run off.

With another sigh he finished dressing, changing the tie Mummy had laid out for a different one with a cream stripe in it that looked much nicer. The sound of the front door slamming reverberated making him jump and he listened for voices out the front of the house hoping the Alpha and his family had decided to leave of their own accord for whatever reason. 

He looked at his reflection in the mirror and grimaced. He wasn’t pretty nor was he physically attractive, the beauty had gone to Sherlock who would grow into a stunning young man and have Alpha’s falling over their knots. Sherlock also possessed an intelligent mind far beyond his years like himself; it was a pity that by itself was not valued like being pretty or physically pleasing.

Mycroft rolled his eyes as his younger brother screamed like he was being murdered, Redbeard who had been lazily stretched out on the rug in his room scrambled to his feet with a growl then skidded out the door in his haste adding to the noise Sherlock was making by barking. He had little doubt Sherlock was up to no good and causing trouble for Mummy.

All abruptly went quiet then his brother and Redbeard were running up the hallway and back into the room looking quite proud of themselves. 

“What did you do this time?” asked Mycroft in amusement despite his misery.

“Kicked the Alpha in the shin.” said Sherlock in satisfaction “But he didn’t get angry, I couldn’t even smell aggression coming from him…..shame, I was hoping he would hit me and then Mummy would have run him back out the front door.”

“You cannot go around kicking Alpha’s Sherlock, it is simply inviting trouble.” reproved Mycroft.

“Alpha’s cause trouble for us even when we don’t do anything to invite it” retorted Sherlock with a pointed scowl.

Mycroft shuddered. He was unlikely to forget that day in London three months ago when he had ducked into a second hand bookshop just two doors up from the coffee shop Mummy had decided they should stop in for tea and scones. Second hand bookshops were divine; the smell of musty pages and treasures waiting to be found….and found he had in a bookcase near the back of the shop. He’d spotted an old Anatomy & Physiology tome that contained hand drawn colour plates he knew Sherlock would adore as birthday present. 

It had been very quick, an Alpha in his late teens to early twenties had found him alone and roughly pinned him to the bookcase pressing his hand to his mouth to keep him quiet. He had frozen in fear as the Alpha groped and whispered filthy things at him, thankfully the owner of the store had prevented worse from happening when he’d come down to check on Mycroft having seen the older un-bonded Alpha go in his direction. His assailant had fled and the nice owner who had four Omega pups himself had got another shopper to go and fetch his family. It had taught him to be more vigilant and his parents had informed him upon returning to Oxford he would be required to choose an Alpha to betroth himself to which would help in deterring roving opportunist Alphas like the one he had experienced in London since the smell of another Alpha on him would be off putting.

He also knew it was because his scent was beginning to change from that of an Omega child to that of an Omega approaching maturity. It was only a matter of time before he became fertile and went into heat. The one positive about becoming betrothed is having ones heats delayed, his Mummy had called out their family doctor and Mycroft now took two tablets each morning….one to prevent heats and one that was a contraceptive to prevent conception should a heat suppressant be forgotten or fail. Needless to say Mycroft took them both diligently as soon as he got up. The day he was married he would not have to take the heat suppressant and would be given an injection of hormones to bring on a pseudo heat in order to be mounted and bonded. He could also become pregnant if his Alpha demanded he no longer take birth control when their wedding approached.

Though Mycroft was expected to remain untouched, his betrothed Alpha could sleep around and even knot other Omegas as long as they were careful to prevent bonding and pregnancy. He was quite well versed about heats, sex, pregnancy and childbirth in theory, even Sherlock was very knowledgeable having read all the books Mummy had given Mycroft to read. Still, it was no consolation to know on his wedding night he would be completely inexperienced, he absolutely hated the thought of an experienced Alpha feeling smug in the knowledge he had been the first.

“Mykey darling it’s time to go down.” said his Father.

He blinked; dread settled into the pit of his stomach and looked at his Mum who had come up with Father to fetch him.

“One thing before we go down, the Brinkworth Alpha is to be avoided as far as a betrothal is concerned.” said Mummy darkly “Upon meeting him I find him undesirable and believe a match would not be in your best interests at all”

Mycroft nodded accepting his Alpha’s decision on the matter, there was no way he would disobey her judgement of character and trusted in her protection of him.

He kept his eyes down as they approached the courtyard door and tried not to wrinkle his nose like his brother had done at the myriad of scents wafting around. It was better to wait for several moments after Mummy had presented him to look up; people were easier to read then. 

“I’d like to present my son, Mycroft Timothy Edward Holmes.” said Mrs Holmes “And my Omega Sherrinford Holmes who has been busy preparing a lovely afternoon tea.”

He could feel the weight of the gazes upon him…..one, two, three, four, five…… 

He lifted his gaze from the cobbled courtyard floor; his eyes immediately fell upon a very handsome older Alpha with violet eyes…..ah, this was the Alpha Mummy had referred to……predilection for asserting Alpha dominance through sexual cruelty and violence……did not find Mycroft to his tastes, a match would not bode well for his physical or mental safety. Without question a no.

The female Beta, she was a strange choice by his parents…..perhaps would have been considered had he preferred females. No.

Blond haired Alpha female…..clearly did not want to be here…..oh dear, had a childhood sweetheart….intended to fight tooth and nail against being chosen and wanted to marry and bond to said Omega childhood sweetheart. No.

Brown haired Alpha male…..definitely not, though of the upper classes had a dwindling fortune, high hopes on getting their hands on Holmes money since whatever an Omega owned immediately became the property of their Alpha…..not likely you fool, do you think my Alpha sire so stupid as to not have ensured the principal could never be touched. No to gold diggers.

A black haired Alpha male, nice looking, working class, friendly with a nice family, Omega mother happy and content, he would be treated decently…..wanted to begin a family the moment he was bonded…..desire for a very large family, the Alpha male didn’t find him attractive at all but would please his family and do his duty. To be considered.

Brown haired Alpha male, tanned and very attractively handsome…..wasn’t even looking at Mycroft, contents of the cake table more interesting because he was hungry, nice family, working class, brought two Omega siblings along who were smiling at him, again he would be treated well….the Omega mother looked happy and content….their friendliness was genuine, not interested in wealth or greed for social climbing, Sherlock glaring at the Alpha….oh, this was the one he’d kicked in the shin. The brown eyes of the Alpha swung to him, no sexual interest and indifferent to both his lack of prettiness and bodily attractiveness.

“What do you think, darling?” his Father murmured near his ear.

Mycroft looked between the two Alphas.

“That one.” replied Mycroft pointing to the Alpha he decided upon.

The chosen Alphas parents radiated happiness that their son had been chosen, the two Omega siblings smiled wider.

Mycroft couldn’t help feel a little sorry for the Alpha whose expression resembled that of a rabbit trapped in the headlights of an oncoming car, his brown eyes went wide with shock and disbelief then to resigned defeat and dismay.

Yes, Mycroft knew exactly how he felt; it was somewhat comforting to know he wasn’t alone in his misery.

It was his own turn for his eyes to go wide with shock and disbelief as his brother flew at the Alpha and let his fist fly with a well-aimed none to gentle punch that had him clutching at his groin and falling to his knees with the blood draining from his face.

Mycroft closed his eyes as all hell broke loose. 

Sherlock did his I-am-being-murdered-screams, Redbeard came running at the sound joining in the fray barking then upsetting the tea table sending Mummy’s best china smashing and then howling….footsteps clattered on the courtyard floor as their visitors hurried to leave with none too gracious comments….well, that was the end of that then.


	3. Meeting again

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Lestrades return to Oxford.

A week later and Greg was again back in the car returning to Oxford though Melissa and Joseph had stayed behind with Aunty Lindy this time. Greg squeezed his legs together remembering the previous week at Oxford when he’d thought any chance of ever siring pups long gone with the punch to his balls that had sent them up into his throat. What the hell was wrong with the bloody child who was unfortunately going to end up his future brother-in-law, he didn’t know, but he was the bloody Devil incarnate to hit an Alpha in the balls for no reason at all, he didn’t know about the name Sherlock….the brat should have been called Lucifer and was an absolute menace.

The Devil’s Spawn had then started up with that screaming and of course the Hound of Hell had to join in with his barking, the overexcited animal had sent the tea table skidding over the cobbled pavers, which in turn had upended plates and dishes sending them smashing down making it howl. He was quite sure several of the afternoon tea items he had been eyeing and looking forward to bounced off him going to a disappointing waste while clutching his balls and trying not to be sick. He’d had jerked away from a tongue that licked across his forehead when the mutt had ceased it’s howling and decided to slobber over him, worried that Lucifer's Hellhound might want to rip his face off at the Demons bidding. 

He’d heard Alexander’s Alpha sire loudly exclaim no pup of hers was going to bond into a family that clearly had little pedigree while hurrying to leave. He had no idea of pedigree but hoped his parents dragged him out of there too and away from having to be betrothed to the Omega who had chosen him. The thought of it combined with the pain in his bollocks made him heave; there was nothing worse than dry reaching on an empty stomach. They’d eaten both breakfast and lunch at brunch-time in anticipation of enjoying a nice afternoon tea.

Unfortunately he’d put his hand down into shards of broken crockery and had sliced it open on the broken dishes; it had been severe enough to warrant leaving immediately to go and visit the local hospital for medical attention. Greg looked down at his hand that was still bandaged to protect the four stitches he’d needed. He’d be sure to give the Demon child a wide berth and be vigilant of the little bugger doing anything else to him though both his siblings thought Lucifer and his Hellhound hilarious. 

Greg swallowed down the lump in his throat as they turned into the driveway of the Holmes residence. Today the betrothal contracts would be discussed and signed; his parents were overjoyed that he’d been chosen by an upper class family to bond with their Omega son stating they couldn’t have hoped for a better match for Greg. Since he was the first of his friends to be chosen they all thought it was hilarious and he’d been grilled on what the Omega’s family were like and what the Omega looked like. In all honesty he’d been able to say the parents seemed quite normal, the younger brother was a turd and he had barely given a glance to the Omega other than to the nice colour of his hair since he’d thought one of the other Alpha’s who were also well-to-do would be chosen.

His Mum chided him for his less than enthusiastic exit from the car. Greg looked up at the large home and noticed the dark haired child peering out of a second floor window at him. He wondered what the Demon had planned this time and narrowed his eyes at the little bugger who gave him an evil grin. There was no way in hell he’d let him get close enough to be belted in the balls again that was for sure, Jordan had told him to belt the little sod back but hitting a little kid was just cowardly no matter how much of a shit.

“Hello, hello, do come in.” greeted Mrs Holmes cheerfully upon answering the door “Lovely to see you all again, Sherrinford is putting the kettle on.”

The moment Greg entered the lounge behind his parents he was immediately on guard when the Devil Spawn poked his head around the corner, glared at him then disappeared again and it didn’t bode well for escaping this visit without injury.

His brother on the other hand was stood in the lounge almost stiffly in his suit, he wondered if Mycroft wore anything other than formal trousers, shirt, waistcoat and tie that made him look like a 14 year old lawyer or politician……blue eyes flickered over his own attire of a simple pair of navy cargo pants and light blue shirt his Mum had insisted upon over him putting on jeans and t-shirt, then fell to his bandaged hand flickering up for a bare moment to meet Greg’s eyes before going downcast.

The action irritated him, did he think Greg would be the type like Jordan’s Dad to give him a backhander for not ‘knowing an Omega’s place’ which Mr Farrelly was fond of reminding Mrs Farrelly of. Greg would never lay a hand on an Omega in violence……his Alpha sire had raised him to treat Omegas with respect and that under no circumstances was it ever acceptable to raise a hand or fist to one and had similarly instilled the same in his younger siblings that abuse from an Alpha was not acceptable. 

“How is your hand, Gregory?” asked Mrs Holmes her pale eyes fixing upon him. He got the feeling she could see right into his soul with that gaze.

“Its fine, Mrs Holmes…..” 

He broke off darting to Mr Holmes who was balancing two trays in his hands and swiftly took the tray with the large fat teapot that also had teacups, saucers, tea-plates and condiments on.

“Thank you.” smiled Mr Holmes. 

Greg carefully placed the tray down on the coffee table missing the look that passed between the Holmes parents.

“Gregory dear, why don’t you take Mycroft for a turn around the gardens and chat.” said Mrs Holmes “I’ll have Sherlock bring you out some tea and pastries to eat in the courtyard.”

He gave a surprised look to Mrs Holmes who merely smiled at him; he then glanced to his parents who looked just as surprised at the request too in allowing him to be alone with the Omega, not that he had any thoughts of doing anything remotely deemed improper.

Mycroft though was staring at his Mother in dismay. 

“Without a chaperone?” asked the Omega.

Greg frowned. What the hell did Mycroft think he was going to do…..?

“For God’s sake I’m not in the habit of assaulting Omegas…..I wasn’t raised in the gutter….your virtue is quite safe.” he said in disgust.

Spinning on his heel he headed back towards the front door, stepping back out into the sunshine and started walking. No, his parents had raised him properly. He saw how many of his peers treated Omegas mistakenly believing them to be dumb, inferior and incapable of being equal to an Alpha…..good for serving, breeding and fucking Jordan had said echoing his Alpha Fathers ignorance.

Inside the house Mycroft was taken aback by the indignation in the other teenagers voice and disgust on his face, clearly his Mother thought Gregory would not attempt any impropriety on his person when making the suggestion to venture into the gardens alone without a chaperone but nonetheless he still didn’t trust any Alpha other than those with familial ties since the incident in the bookshop despite Gregory’s reassurance he wouldn’t attempt anything.

“I assure you Gregory is quite trustworthy and honourable.” said Mrs Lestrade softly “If I thought for a moment he would be…….impolite……I would have insisted you not be allowed to be alone with him.”

Mycroft nodded after a moment, she was being completely honest. By her expression she had seen her fair share of unwelcome attentions and from one Omega to another would not place him in a situation where he would have to deal with an Alpha who thought it his right to be handsy even if it was her son.

“As you wish, Mummy.” said Mycroft leaving the adults to speak together about the betrothal contracts and followed Gregory.

He was surprised the Lestrades had even returned after the complete disaster of their last visit, quite sure between Sherlock, Redbeard and needing the trip to the hospital that they would run the other way like the other visitors had done that day. Despite Mummy scolding Sherlock and threatening to prevent him from doing any experiments, his younger brother had been quite proud of how fast he had driven the visitors off including the Lestrades.

Sherlock had promised to be on his best behaviour today though Mycroft was suspicious of the all too easy way Mummy had extracted that promise. He knew full well how sneaky and underhanded Sherlock could be; his behaviour would get him into trouble one day. When the time came for Sherlock to become betrothed he could only hope the Alpha would not be the type to try and force submission upon him…..his brother would not take being stuck in the home, waiting hand and foot on some Alpha while playing Mummy…..it would drive him insane not to stimulate his mind and be trapped.

He found Gregory by the small pond in the courtyard garden watching a common toad lazily sun itself while several toadlets paddled in the water keeping cool.

“Do you get many frogs, don’t see ones like this by the seaside.” said Gregory.

“It’s a toad, Bufo Bufo is the correct scientific name.” corrected Mycroft, mouth engaging before his brain.

Dark brown eyes swung to him and Mycroft quickly shifted his gaze down not wanting to see the sneer or anger directed at him for speaking out of turn. 

“Would you not do that thing with your eyes, my Mum doesn’t do it and neither does your Dad.” said the Alpha matter-of-factly. 

Mycroft lifted his eyes. The Alpha was not sneering at him and not angry at all in being corrected 

“How can you tell it’s a toad and not a frog?”

His interest was genuine and Mycroft fidgeted.

“A toad has warty like skin whereas a frog has smooth skin.” said Mycroft “The Natterjack Toad, or Epidalea Calamita, is more likely to be found on coastal areas.”

The Alpha gazed at him with raised eyebrows for a moment before returning to watch the amphibians.

“Science your favourite subject at school then?” asked Gregory.

School was an utter bore when you knew the content better than the teachers; he mostly went through the motions just to pass the necessary assessments which were hardly a challenge.

“What were you expecting to be my favourite?” asked Mycroft in annoyance “Home Economics and Childcraft?”

The Alpha turned and walked away again.

Mycroft frowned watching him go to the timber outdoor setting and sink down into one of the seats. He followed again since he was expected to ‘chat’ and also sat in one of the seats across from the teenager.

Sherlock appeared with a small tray containing two cups of tea and a plate of chocolate éclairs Father had made and set it on the table glancing at the Alpha who ignored him completely by staring at his bandaged hand.

He narrowed his eyes as Sherlock took it upon himself to place the teacups before them both then the plate before grabbing the tray and dashing off again without a word.

“There is nothing wrong with Home Economics or Childcraft.” said Gregory evenly.

“How would you know?” retorted Mycroft snappishly “They aren’t compulsory subjects for Alphas because they will have an Omega to take care of the house and pups.”

He had no choice but to learn tedious domestic duties and all things pertaining to pups from conception to when they too bonded with a mate. Like all his other subjects he was top of the class in both despite how mind numbingly boring it was.

Mycroft lifted his cup and took a gulp of his tea, strong with a dash of milk and no sugar the way he liked it.

“Whatever.” muttered the Alpha then scowled at Mycroft “You have me pegged with your sweeping generalisations don’t you…..I’m incapable of controlling myself around an Omega because an Alpha can’t keep it in their pants, I’m expecting a clean house, perfectly ironed clothes, three fully cooked square meals a day, have you greet me at the door with slippers in hand when I finish work, breed you for a dozen pups and have you present nightly because Alphas not only can’t control themselves sexually but also have to ensure their mate knows their place under them.....oh and let's not forget I'll smack you about when you give me the shits”

His cup clattered back into the saucer, fairly sure his face had gone scarlet at the mention of breeding, presenting and sex. This Alpha was simply rude and infuriating……

“Fuck, the little shit pissed in it!” swore Gregory tossing the teacup onto the table after taking a large gulp of tea and spitting it out “Did you put him up to this? Why the hell did you choose me? Have you chosen other Alphas just to make idiots of them? Fine! Point made, I’m outta here, but just so you know you don’t interest me at all, I take Home Ec and Childcraft and can do everything a bloody Omega can do bar give birth which incidentally no, I don’t want a house full of pups nor do I care if you study, work or do something that interests you….now, let’s call off this betrothal before the parents sign……!”

Gregory had risen still snarling but not shouting at him and had taken a stomping step when a thwack sounded. The Alpha swayed then suddenly crumpled like a marionette having its strings cut and fell to the cobbled pavers. Mycroft sprung up from his seat and went quickly around the table sucking in his breath at the unmoving form. A large nasty bruise was beginning to form on Gregory’s temple and the blood trickled across his forehead from a gash there. Not two feet away was a jagged stone the size of a small apple that had crimson stains on it.

“Oh my God” he whispered scared that his younger brother may have killed him with such a blow.

He pressed two fingers to the teenager’s wrist and was relieved to find a strong pulse under the tanned skin.

“Gregory?”

He tapped the Alphas cheek but Gregory's eyes remained closed and was completely unresponsive, knocked out cold with the blow.

“Sherlock, what have you done!” he shouted at his younger brother as he ran up still holding the sling-shot in his hand.

The seven year old at least look frightened. This was the second time he had been responsible for inflicting injuries on the Alpha......and urinating in his tea was unforgivable.

“Fetch his Mother, now!” he snapped at Sherlock who went white with fear but nonetheless did as he was told and went running into the house.

Mycroft gently lifted the unconscious Alpha’s head and rested it on his knee smoothing strands of hair away that were in danger of getting bloodied. 

Unlike the Alpha who attacked him that stunk of stale cigarettes and rank body odour Gregory smelled pleasant……his Alpha musk had the aroma of apples and cinnamon, rather like one of his Fathers apple pies.

He had misread the Alpha, blinded by his own resentment and anger at not only Alphas in general but his own gender. He now understood why his Mummy had been so pleased with his choice of Gregory James Lestrade, had he bothered to observe properly instead of wallowing in bitterness he would have seen rather than needing to be told that this Alpha was different.

Mycroft swallowed with regret, between him and Sherlock they had doomed this betrothal to be finished before it even started.


	4. Second Chances

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mycroft and his family make the trip to Somerset

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Any descriptions or places I mention about Weston-Super-Mare in this and the next chapter or two are likely not to match up with the actual place since I actually live in Australia, no doubt someone who lives in Weston-Super-Mare would not be able to give accurate descriptions of Brisbane where I live or the famous Gold Coast just down from where I live if you've never visited so please don't hate on me for those inaccuracies. 
> 
> Meanwhile, thank you for the lovely kudos, comments and subscriptions to the story.

Mycroft smoothed his hands down the front of his trousers, outwardly he projected his usual calm self but inwardly he was both nervous and scared as their car rapidly closed the last miles towards the coast.

Seven months had passed since the incident in the courtyard. To say Sherlock had thrown a cat amongst the pigeons was an understatement. Mr Lestrade had been less than impressed and shouted at Mummy.….Mrs Lestrade had been beside herself…...Mycroft had been quite sure Mummy was going to have a fit of the most epic of proportions going by the snarl of fury that came from her and most shockingly Father had dragged Sherlock inside and given him his first ever spanking……his screams were not so much of pain since Father did not have it in him to be a harsh disciplinarian, but rather the shock that their loving, gentle Omega was so angry with him to actually spank him had scared the wits out of Sherlock. 

An ambulance had been called when after several minutes of Mrs Lestrade trying to rouse him, Gregory had opened his eyes dazed, confused and mumbling unintelligibly. Mr Lestrade had rung Mummy several hours later once Gregory had been conveyed to hospital to inform her x-rays taken showed no fractures but Gregory was concussed and required an overnight stay for observation, it had also been implied a betrothal was no longer feasible since Gregory had adamantly refused to have any part of it.

Mummy had organised several betrothal selections in the last seven months but none of the prospective Alphas she had chosen had found him to their liking and the feeling had been mutual. Then out of the blue a few days ago Mr Lestrade had called. He had overhead his Mother tell Father the Lestrades had also attended more betrothal selections and in fact at the last one Gregory had been chosen, the contracts drawn up and on the brink of being signed…..unfortunately Mummy had lowered her voice so he had not heard what had happened but obviously it was something significant because Mr Lestrade would have no reason to call for anything other than seeking a betrothal again. He had deduced correctly and the Lestrade parents wanted the contract signed and the pre-bonding dealt with immediately…..the relief Mycroft had felt was immeasurable though Sherlock, with a sniff, had muttered the Alpha was a twit but conceded Gregory better than all of the morons presented to his brother.

Twit or not, after what Gregory had said in anger to him he felt quite sure he would not find another betrothal that would be so agreeable. An Alpha who would lower themselves to take classes designed for Omegas to undertake their place in society spoke greatly of a mate who lacked the chauvinistic traits of many Alphas who were for most part sexist pigs. Even more agreeable was the potential of gaining the education he wished for at university…..and freedom to work, he didn’t think he was wrong in surmising Gregory had no wish for them to have pups immediately thus breeding Mycroft from the moment they bonded was, in his estimate, very low to none.

He felt none of the touted maternal inclinations he was supposed to feel which was in complete contradiction with the notion it was innate for an Omega to naturally want to breed. While there was a reprieve from being constantly pregnant and having an entire brood of pups there would be the expectation eventually to reproduce and despite his lack of enthusiasm he would do his duty. As for Gregory himself, even if there was no love between them at least he would be mated to an Alpha who would respect him and treat him as a person rather than mere property to be owned and bred. 

“Are we there yet?”

Mycroft rolled his eyes at the question asked so many times already. His brother had been bouncing off the walls since learning they were going to Somerset. It made no difference Sherlock had calculated exactly how long it would take to reach the seaside town of Weston-Super-Mare, the prospect of some time on the beach searching for interesting samples and paddling in the water was enticing and the trip couldn’t conclude fast enough. 

Mummy had cleverly used it to advantage; suggestions of being left in Oxford with Uncle Rudy and his ‘friend’ Johnathan had been met with howls of outrage before tearful promises had been made to behave himself and not cause any difficulties that would result in Mycroft being cast aside again. Sherlock too did not want to incur the wrath of Father again, the spanking had been bad enough but even Mycroft had shared his brothers anguish at the upset it had caused Father to have raised a hand to him, the scent of their Omega’s distress had lingered for hours tainted with sorrow and angst. 

All too soon Sherlock had his face pressed to the car window barely able to sit still while Mummy navigated the streets of the resort town. He wasn’t absolutely sure what to expect aside from knowing the family were of the working classes who owned a tea-shop and bakery, but when Mummy stopped the car he was pleasantly surprised by the lovely building that was both business and family home combined in one. It was certainly bigger than one would expect, the façade gave the impression it may have once been an inn. 

Mycroft curled his lips into a smile at the name that adorned the window had been given to - The Fat Tea Pot. Four wooden tables sat in the shade of an awning out the front surrounded by planter boxes and hanging baskets that were overflowing with bright flowers. There were frilly net curtains at the windows and an old fashioned chalkboard near the door offered the day’s special of Seedy Cake and Tea for one at a reasonable price.

In the blink of an eye Sherlock was out of the car and running into the shop before Mummy could stop him. With more decorum than displayed by Sherlock he alighted from the car, turning his head at the loud bark of laughter. Loitering just down the street was a trio of what he guessed to be Alpha’s judging by their confident posturing and all three were staring at him……Gregory’s friends…..two of them seemed to be uncomfortable by the laughter coming from one of them…..laughter that was being directed at Mycroft. 

Large family, misogynist sire, abused Omega mother, low to medium IQ, grades at school poor, believes he is god’s gift to Omegas, quite the goldfish……stupid. Mycroft curled his lip when the cretin scowled, he disliked that Mycroft had not acted like a timid Omega and scurried away and changing tactic he leered at Mycroft and rubbed his crotch. The other two were now embarrassed by the behaviour of their friend and with frowns muttered at him. With a sneer he followed his parents who were clueless at the exhibition, typical Neanderthal who believed all Omegas were gagging for a knot and whose brains resided in his trousers…..pity the poor Omega that got saddled with that excuse for an Alpha.

Entering the shop he soon forgot about them, quite taken with the charm of the interior. There were tables and chairs like any other tea-shop but there were also comfortable looking sofas and single armchairs with little side tables of which none matched. Most charmingly of all was the mismatch of shelving that held books for customers to browse and read, there was even a small bookcase full of childrens books too. The smell of coffee, tea, baking and sweet things gave the shop a homely welcoming feel. He could well imagine himself curled up in one chair underneath a window, good book in hand with a steaming cup of tea and plate of goodies to snack upon.

Sherlock had already grabbed a book, Around the World in Eighty Days and had his nose in it. At least having reading material he could be entertained with would keep him out of trouble. His eyes swept the chalkboard behind the shop counter after glancing over the glass cake stands showing wares and the glass cabinet also filled with sweet treats. Bakewell Tarts, Carrot Cake Muffins, Scones, Custard Tarts, Banana and Walnut Bread, Fruit Cake, Chocolate Éclairs, Shortbread, Jam Tarts, Double Choc Brownies.

“Hello Mycroft, how are you?”

Mrs Lestrade’s greeting was warm and free from any lingering animosity over the unfortunate events of the last meeting.

“I’m very well, thank you Mrs Lestrade.” responded Mycroft politely.

“Oh let’s do dispense with formalities, please call us Jamie and Fiona.” said Mrs Lestrade genially.

“You have a lovely shop, an enjoyable book is always a superb accompaniment to good cup of tea and delicious morsel.” said Mycroft to the Omega.

“I agree completely.” smiled Fiona “And so do the majority of our customers who are mostly locals though tourist season is very busy as well, come take a seat and we’ll get some refreshments on the table…..it’s well past Elevenses”

Mycroft sat at the table where his parents were already seated. Like the rest of the shop the tablecloths didn’t match and neither did the sugar bowls. He cast an eye over to his brother who was still curled up in the corner of a sofa and occupied with the book. At least it looked like he was not going to cause trouble this time and was quite surprised when Melissa and Joseph went and sat with him after giving friendly smiles to Mycroft first. They ignored the small scowl on his face that he gave at being interrupted but did at least put the book aside when the 8 and 11 year olds spoke to him.

He dearly hoped his brother could get along with his future brother and sister-in-law, though they were a little older at least both being Omegas meant Sherlock would not instantly dismiss them, and from what he could discern both Lestrade siblings were genuinely nice children who were unlikely to be mean to Sherlock for being different. Mycroft quirked the corner of his lip as Sherlock focused his gaze on Melissa who was closest to his brothers age, whatever she said to him made his brother cock his head and raise his eyebrows in surprise.

“Mycroft dear, would you prefer Earl Grey or English Breakfast?” asked Mummy interrupting his observation of the interaction between Sherlock, Melissa and Joseph.

“Earl Grey……”

Startled into silence Mycroft gaped at the Alpha standing at the end of the table next to Father forgetting to be properly demure. There was no nice shirt and trousers this time, they had been replaced with jeans and a black t-shirt with what looked to be some kind of band logo. A small hoop earring had appeared in a left ear and dark hair had been cropped shorter but now sported a vivid blue streak through the front. He was also taller and would likely shock the pants off their upper class friends and family who had already tutted upon learning his betrothed was not of their ilk and considerably less money.

“I think that was an Earl Grey, thank you Gregory.” said Mummy with amusement in her voice. 

Mycroft flushed in mortification as Sherlock, Melissa and Joseph tittered. He pretended interest in the pattern on the damask tablecloth discomfited by the thought he probably looked like one of those silly love-struck Omegas he so disdained. No, he had simply been surprised in the Alpha’s change of appearance.


	5. Important Decisions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The boys begin to discuss important decisions

~ Constant vigilance ~

Greg bit a back a snort at the voice of Mad-Eye Moody echoing in his head from Harry Potter.…..well so far so good. It seemed the little shit had left the sling-shot at home, he’d make sure his balls were out of punching range and there was no way in hell he’d get the opportunity to piss in his tea again. But then inviting the Holmes’ back for what was hoped a positive outcome was akin to acquiescing to the whims of an overprotective younger brother-in-law who clearly did not like Alphas. For the time being his own younger brother and sister were keeping Sherlock out of mischief.

If truth be told he’d had enough of the betrothal selections, especially after the last one…..god, what a debacle that had been. No, while the younger brother might be an arse the Holmes parents appeared to be very nice, normal even despite the fact they were well off. Mycroft at least could string an intelligent sentence together, seemed to be sensible and yes, the Omega was far preferable to the many others he’d been presented to over the last 7 months……and the last one he’d very nearly ended up betrothed to had opened his eyes. Just as there were arsehole Alphas there were also arsehole Omegas out there.

He put the lids on the teapots noting the two yellow ones were Earl Grey and the English Breakfast pink. Leaving the tea steeping, he quickly assembled two three tiered cake stands and one smaller two tiered cake stand with assorted dainty sandwiches, smaller bite sized cakes and tarts. Selecting cake forks, cake plates, tea cups, saucers and teaspoons he took a deep breath and headed back out into the front of the shop.

The four parents were chatting about tomato growing. Mycroft had gone and fetched a book from one of the bookcases to read and kept his head down. The three younger Omegas were talking quietly together. No bedlam had erupted.....yet.

“Oh my, those brownies look divine.” commented Mr Holmes “Perfectly gooey in the middle and a nice crust on the outside.”

“Greg makes those, they are particularly moreish.” said his Mum proudly. “He makes our Custard Tarts and Seedy Cake too.”

“Really?” asked Mr Holmes quizzically turning his gaze to Greg “You like to bake?”

“Yes.” answered Greg “I can cook most things. Dad was of the opinion there was no point raising an Alpha to be a useless human being….plus Mum works hard and it gives her nights off from cooking dinner when Dad and I do our nights.”

Mr Holmes laughed.

“There is no way I would let Tory anywhere near my kitchen.” he said with the shake of his head “She has a brilliant mind in everything but would burn the house down boiling water.”

“Oh, you.” giggled Mrs Holmes tapping Mr Holmes’ hand “You’ll never let me live it down melting that old kettle on the stove. So glad the newer ones switch off on their own when they have boiled ……no danger of setting the kettle on fire now.”

Greg was torn between joining in the laughter and worried he may have offended Mrs Holmes with the useless Alpha comment and glanced at Mycroft who was frowning at the book.

“Oh, I’m not offended dear.” said Mrs Holmes seemingly reading his mind “I am the first one to admit I’m useless in the kitchen…..but Sherry firmly rules his domain so we are quite harmoniously in agreement in that regard.”

“Aren’t you lucky Mykie darling, you’ll have an Alpha who can keep you in the sweeties you like so much.” observed Mr Holmes.

Clearly it was the wrong thing to say since the Omega went positively scarlet in embarrassment before hurriedly standing and rushing out the door. Greg bit his lip for a moment debating whether or not to follow then throwing caution to the wind nipped out in pursuit finding Mycroft in the corner chair of one of the wooden tables. He went and sat opposite the teen that ignored him by turning his head away to stare at the Busy Lizzie’s in the planter box.

“What did your Dad say to upset you?” asked Greg after a few moments.

The Omega compressed his lips and didn’t answer.

“Mycroft?” prodded Greg trying to prompt a response.

“I dislike cooking, unlike Father who revels in creating culinary masterpieces.” answered Mycroft crossly “Quite obviously my liking for sweet things means I am fat, and I hate being called Mykie, there happy now?”

Greg chewed his bottom lip and cast a critical eye over the teen. Mycroft was a little chubbier than most Omegas his age but it was perfectly normal for an Omega to have more body fat. And he didn't see anything wrong with Mykie, parents had nicknames for their kids........Melissa was Lissy, Joseph was Jo and his got shortened to Greg

“Well we won’t starve because I like cooking.” said Greg “You aren’t fat, you are leaving childhood skinniness behind and maturing into a fertile Omega…..”

“I don’t need an Omega physiology lesson, thank you.” said Mycroft quickly and snippily “And you are quite welcome to the kitchen and the cooking.”

“Glad we got that one sorted.” said Greg not bringing up the nickname thing in case Mycroft got even more snippy “What else shall we nut out before betrothal contracts are signed and we are pre-bonded?”

“What happened with the other Omega you were going to betroth to?” asked Mycroft.

At that moment Mrs Holmes came out carrying their tea and the two tiered cake stand on a tray, her shrewd eyes going between both him and Mycroft assessing the situation.

“Have your tea before it goes cold.” she said and left to go back inside without another word.

“Let’s just say she ended up unsuitable.” said Greg leaving Mycroft to pour the tea “I have no wish to offend your delicate sensibilities, unless you insist.”

“Oh my.” said Mycroft “Sounds scandalous.”

“Scandalous is one way of putting it…..the family seemed a bit off, nothing I could put my finger on so I though perhaps it was just me being silly….they wouldn’t let us alone without an older Alpha brother supervising which yeah, that’s fine because I had nothing to hide and the Omega who had chosen me was all properly behaved….until the afternoon when the contracts were being signed and the pre-bonding done.” said Greg.

Greg paused to put two crustless cucumber and cream cheese sandwiches on his cake plate and took a sip of his English Breakfast that Mycroft had made perfectly the way he liked it.

Mycroft was staring at him intently, tea cup poised halfway to his mouth.

“Turns out my initial feeling of something being off was spot on…..she was fu…..having incestuous relations with her brother.” said Greg grimacing.

Greg nodded at Mycroft’s look of horror and disgust, he had felt the same way when he’d walked into the conservatory looking for the Omega and seen Danielle astride her brother bouncing away on top of him making sounds that were quite unmistakeable….as was the smell of sex.

“Needless to say the shit hit the proverbial fan…..we didn’t stick around once the Alpha Father went ballistic, and we didn’t hear anything from them again thank god” muttered Greg wrinkling his nose.

“Why would you hear from them?” said Mycroft evenly “That’s utterly revolting.”

Greg popped one of the sandwiches in his mouth.

“And that was the end of that.” he said “So, what do you want to do Mycroft? And be frank, none of this saying what you think will please me.”

Mycroft shifted in his seat and took one of the brownies from the cake stand.

“I begin Upper 6th Form in the new school year so next year I will be applying to Oxford and Cambridge.” said Mycroft slowly and quietly as if waiting for an axe to fall.

Greg’s eyes widened though he wasn’t as shocked as he should be. Holy crap, the Omega was not just smart he was really, really smart! Oxford! Cambridge! At 16!

“Uh, ok, so what are you going to study?” asked Greg interestedly.

Mycroft blinked and sat up a little straighter.

“Politics, International Studies, Economics” answered Mycroft who then dropped his eyes to the brownie he began to cut neatly into quarters with his cake fork “And if you allow it once we are Bonded, perhaps some History and Linguistics.”

Oh my God. He was a fucking Einstein! Well, that solved the problem of bringing up not wanting to start a family the moment they bonded at any rate.

“If that’s what you want to do then I’m not going to stop you.” said Greg honestly “I want to join the Met so perhaps Cambridge might be better to apply to then we can live in London.”

“So if you agree for me to continuing with my studies and with you planning to become a police officer, do I assume you have no wish to become a sire until later?” asked Mycroft daintily eating one of the quarter squares of brownie.

“I want a good job, a decent home, maybe see a bit of the world……I don’t want to be struggling to make ends meet in a crappy flat, trying to provide for half a dozen pups by the time I'm 25….nor do I want an Omega who is stuck hating a life of domesticity and endless babies....our parents didn't.” said Greg bluntly “So yes, I’d rather have a couple of pups later down the track unless you want otherwise?”

“No…..no, that is quite agreeable.” nodded Mycroft quickly “You are very……liberal in your decisions.”

“Our decisions, Mycroft.” said Greg nicking another quarter piece of brownie.

Sherlock came bounding out of the shop and Greg kept his eyes on the little sod who gave him a docile expression that made him even more suspicious.

“Are you going to take us down to the seaside, Gabriel?” asked the younger Omega meekly.

“Greg.” he corrected “And that depends on whether you are going to try and drown me this time.”

The brat smiled at him, angelic and like butter wouldn’t melt in his mouth which was quite terrifying really.

“Don’t be ridiculous George, if I was going to attempt homicide I would use poison.” said the Spawn of Satan quite sweetly.

Greg swallowed and couldn’t help dart a glance to his teapot.


	6. Happy Families I

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The day of their formal betrothal arrives and sometimes family can be one's worse enemy.

2.26pm. 1 hour 46 minutes and counting down…..time had dragged so slowly that the waiting was almost unbearable. Though the Betrothal Contracts had been signed on their last visit to Somerset under the law there was a 7 day period where either of the betrothed could void the contract without repercussion or legal recourse. Given the rollercoaster they had already been through Mycroft had found the last 7 days not only very long but worrisome in case something arose causing Gregory to change his mind. The 7 day period would elapse at 4.12pm and he had been watching the minutes tick down, no news was good news since the phone had remained silent but now there was the worry the Lestrades might do the polite thing and still arrive at 2.30pm to tell the Holmes family they had decided against the betrothal or at the worst just not turn up at all. 

At 4.12pm their betrothal would be legally binding, there were the standard grounds for nullification of the contract – a criminal record, the Alpha proven to have bonded or sired with another Omega, the Omega bonding or breeding with another Alpha but any other grounds would likely be tossed out of a court. Mummy too was keeping an anxious eye on the clock though she was hiding it well, she liked the Lestrade family very much because there was nothing false or pretentious about them and of course she was well satisfied with the Alpha who would one day bond to Mycroft. He knew she was very impressed with Gregory who had genuinely included Sherlock when they had gone down to the beach; treating him the same as his own siblings nor acting like Sherlock was a nuisance he must tolerate. It appeared Sherlock’s antics had been forgiven and Sherlock had forgiven Gregory for being the Alpha betrothed to Mycroft thus there was a clean slate between them.

Father also liked the Lestrade family and was quite adamant Mycroft had nabbed himself a very nice Alpha. He had liked the maturity and decency he showed and the fact he could actually cook had charmed him. Though his Father desperately looked forward to grand-pups to spoil and dote upon he was delighted Mycroft had been encouraged by Gregory to attend university and enter the workforce. Mycroft had confided to his parents the Alpha wanted to wait until they were stable and financially secure before having a family. Both his parents agreed Gregory had his head screwed on right, and had no doubts he would be an excellent mate and sire. It seemed to escape Gregory’s notice that Mycroft would come with money, again that went in his favour.

As Mummy had expected, the Lestrades had not shown any inclination to seek any financial or social gain for their son or themselves like many of the Alpha families would have shamelessly sought. Gregory had been true to his word and there had been no clause for Mycroft to cease taking birth control a month prior to his 18th birthday so that he could conceive on the day of their bonding. He had been surprised clauses were also written in giving Mycroft permission to go to University and to pursue an occupation thus giving Mycroft further proof of his honesty. Mycroft knew with a certainty no other betrothal contract would permit him so much autonomy. Now assured of a future that wasn’t all about living under the thumb of an Alpha and without the worry of things that he had dreaded he felt like a weight had been lifted from his shoulders.

Today would be the final part of the betrothal. It was customary for both sets of families to meet so that extended family could be introduced. Niceties were observed, a morning tea or light afternoon luncheon provided then the pre-bonding completed. Once he was pre-bonded other Alphas would be unlikely to bother him, it was more difficult for an Alpha to defend themselves in a court should they be caught assaulting or raping a betrothed Omega. An assault would bring an exorbitant fine, a rape would bring not only an exorbitant fine but jail time because the betrothed Omega was then, as disgusting as it sounded, considered damaged property. Of course any Omega regardless of whether they were unbonded, betrothed or bonded that went into heat and was raped had no recourse in a court since an Alpha was deemed to be under the influence of Omega pheromones and not in his or her right mind when committing such an act.

Father had been in his element in the kitchen creating a feast for the many guests though he had graciously accepted Jamie’s offer of providing sweet treats from the bakery as well. Mycroft’s extended family of Aunt Margaret and Uncle Peter, Uncle Phillip and Uncle Rory and of course Uncle Rudy and Uncle Johnathan were already having cups of tea. His cousins Lillian, Briony, Jemima and Louis who belonged to Uncle Phillip and Uncle Rory were playing a game of Rummy in the informal lounge. Lillian was the oldest at 16, Briony 11, Jemima 8 and Louis was 4. Normally Sherlock would be annoying them since they didn’t like to play with him but his brother was waiting impatiently for Melissa to arrive, it appeared the younger Lestrade was ‘not boring’ and shared a common interest with Sherlock for dead things. She wanted to work in a morgue finding out how people had died and Sherlock wanted to show her his books on Forensic Pathology.

He knew the moment the car turned up the driveway, Sherlock darted away from the window he’d been peering out of very patiently and like a blur ran to the front door, slamming it behind him after running outside. Aunt Margaret clucked muttering about ‘disgraceful behaviour’ while Uncle Phillip merely smiled indulgently, Louis could be a handful too……Aunt Margaret and Uncle Peter had no pups, preferring to be unencumbered while socialising and trotting off on overseas jaunts, she also didn’t like Uncle Rudy or Uncle Johnathan and barely tolerated them. Where Mummy was warm and loving, her sister was cold and self-absorbed….probably just as well she’d never sired pups…..they would be left to be raised by a nanny anyway then shipped off to boarding school at the earliest opportunity.

He waited with the family while Mummy and Father went to greet the arrivals, Uncle Rudy gave him a wink and smile as if to reassure him. The silence in the room was making him nervous not helped by the cousins who now filed in with the expectation of meeting the Alpha who would become part of the Holmes family. Chatter filled the entryway and the cousins looked on in shock at Sherlock holding on to Melissa’s hand and eagerly telling her about the texts he had in his room to show her, the other Omega grinning at him looking very interested. He didn’t think Jemima would get a look in since Melissa was the same age as her, Jemima wasn’t exactly the brightest and her interests lay more in frilly frocks and playing with toys that reinforced Omega roles like the life-like baby pup doll she held that was swaddled in blue wrap.

Going by the body language and expressions on both sets of parents faces Mycroft felt an overwhelming sense of relief having deduced there would be no dissolution of contract. He would be legally betrothed and pre-bonded to an Alpha this day. His betrothed appeared behind his parents and Mycroft couldn’t help be a bit pleased at the black denim jeans teemed with a nice blue paisley shirt and navy blue tie though the earring remained along with the blue coloured stripe in his hair….he fancied he could almost feel disapproval radiating from Aunt Margaret who had already expressed her opinion on Mummy allowing Mycroft to choose from ‘riff-raff’ and not from pedigreed stock. He had kept his mouth shut and let Mummy deal with her but it had taken quite the effort not to point out he was not a brood mare, nor Gregory a breeding stud whose only value lay in the pedigree his seed offered. Given she had not bred her own Omega for offspring she was hardly qualified to offer opinions on whether or not Gregory would sire stock worthy of the continuation of the Holmes family.

Mycroft swallowed, taken by surprise at what Gregory held in his hand. It hadn’t crossed his mind that the Alpha might come bearing something; so few betrothals nowadays saw most Alphas not bothering with such old fashioned things, the only one that steadfastly persisted was the expectation of the Omega to remain chaste until their bonding. Mycroft felt his cheeks grow warm and his heart-rate sped up when the Alpha approached him and proffered the small bouquet. In Gregory’s hand was a beautiful posy, green stalks of snowy white Heather were interspersed with six sunny yellow roses and wrapped in a white lace doily then twined with a cream coloured ribbon, the contents had been chosen with care. The Heather spoke of protection and the roses, friendship. Thank goodness the Alpha had brought flowers that were meaningful instead of just carelessly handing him a bunch of flowers like red roses that would have seemed terribly gauche and meaningless. He scanned the other teenager’s face; despite the fact neither of them had really wanted a betrothal the Alpha meant to try and do things properly and was worried if the flowers were correct and if Mycroft would like them.

“These are for you.” murmured Gregory sounding unsure.

He was quite glad Gregory was feeling a little anxious since he himself was feeling a little flustered too, conscious of all eyes upon them. 

“Thank you.” said Mycroft and doing the proper thing and sniffed the perfume coming from the roses “They are quite lovely.”

Gregory’s cheeks turned pink at the compliment though he had no doubt his own were even pinker. Mycroft wondered if would receive more favours like the trinkets and flowers those Omegas received from their betrothed in the magazines and romance novels he had secretly borrowed from Fathers bookcase in the Library. Though assured of a bonded mate maybe Gregory would still pursue him like he would have done if they’d met without an arranged bonding…….perhaps he would woo him in order to take liberties like hold his hand, or even kiss the back of it……oh dear lord, he was sounding like a swooning idiot and felt his cheeks likely go an unflattering red that made Gregory stare at him.

He was quite glad when Mummy then whisked Gregory away to join his family again to be introduced to the Holmes family. Aunt Margaret was polite but clearly not impressed with the Lestrades at all and of course Uncle Peter always followed what his Alpha did. Uncle Phillip and Uncle Rory greeted all the Lestrades warmly and introduced Lillian, Briony, Jemima and Louis. As expected Lillian gave Gregory a wide smile, not unlike a shark grinning at potential prey though Gregory didn’t give her much more than a glance after nodding at her then moving on to greet the other cousins. Uncle Phillip and Uncle Rory had been betrothed to each other but had decided not to betroth their own pups, instead allowing them the freedom of finding their own mates. Lillian and Jemima were Omegas and Briony and Louis Alphas.

Mycroft held his breath as Mummy introduced Uncle Rudy and Uncle Johnathon. Uncle Rudy had donned male attire for the family introductions by his own choice but by his joined hand with Uncle Johnathon it was made clear the two Alphas were together. Two Alphas were generally ostracised and deemed an unnatural relationship but Mycroft watched on in surprise as the Lestrade family greeted them as if nothing were amiss and found no forced tolerance or politeness towards them to not offend the Holmes family. He didn’t miss the pointed look Mummy gave both Aunt Margaret and Uncle Peter at the warm way the Lestrades accepted the two Alphas….something which probably lowered the Lestrade family even more in his Aunt’s eyes.

“Trust you to land a dishy one, god he’s got a fantastic arse on him” murmured Lillian jealously in his ear “Pity all he gets in return is an overweight, boring swot.” 

Lillian gave a quiet laugh that made Mycroft grit his teeth, like Aunt Margaret she had a thick skin and being a nasty cow was like second nature to her, she knew exactly where to stick the barbs in and didn't care who she hurt. 

“And you think he’d be interested in an asinine skinny slag like yourself?” quipped Mycroft coolly. 

“Why wouldn’t he be, after all, nothing is stopping him playing the field until you put the noose around his neck is there?” said Lillian spitefully “You sure as heck won’t be letting him between your legs until he marks you as his bonded like the proper little chaste Omega you are.....besides, Alphas are encouraged to plow their way though willing Omegas.”

The cutting reply he had on the end of his tongue he had to keep to himself as Gregory left the side of his parents who were chatting with Uncle Rudy and Uncle Johnathan and made his way towards Mycroft. Lillian remained steadfastly by his side and Gregory glanced at her for a scant moment before turning his gaze to Mycroft.

“Did they shock you?” asked Lillian in a low voice nodding her head to Uncle Rudy and Uncle Johnathon before Gregory had a chance to speak “Two Alphas, hardly a normal relationship.”

Gregory turned his gaze back to Lillian. Mycroft wanted to grimace at her choice of subject but kept his face disinterested, more so as well because Lillian flashed the Alpha one of her smiles again trying to ensure the Alpha’s focus was on her and indeed his brown eyes did look her over, much to the delight of Lillian. Mycroft knew he could not compare to her, she had all the attributes sought after in an Omega that made the Alphas stare at her and pant with lust. 

“No, not shocked at all, they seem very nice.” answered Gregory truthfully.

The Alpha turned his attention to Mycroft much to Lillian’s annoyance. 

“One had to wonder who puts what, where?” giggled Lillian still trying to persist with keeping the Alphas focus away from Mycroft and too dim-witted to pick up on the subtle change of expression and slight shift in Gregory's stance that he had no wish to engage in such conversation. 

“They’re happy and not harming anyone.” said Gregory evenly “What goes on behind closed doors between consenting adults of the same permutation is nobody’s business but theirs.”

“But…”

“My Aunt Zara and Aunt Emily are both Omegas and been together since fifth form.” said Gregory, addressing Mycroft and cutting Lillian off before she could say more “Their best friends are two Alphas that were in their year at school. Nicholas and Kyle are like adopted uncles in our family, they are also the sires of my cousins Gaby and Cory…..they live in the same house so the pups have two Mums and two Dads.”

Just for a moment Mycroft was taken aback at the revelation then gave Gregory a small smile. Well, little wonder then that the Lestrade family didn’t bat an eyelid at the two Alphas with those family dynamics. Where two Alphas were vilified in the same kind of relationship, two Omegas were seen as just having not met a proper Alpha to breed them yet and it was frowned down upon. He couldn’t wait to see Aunt Margaret’s face when she found that out, Mummy and Father wouldn’t care less about it. As for Lillian’s brainless remark, any idiot could see Uncle Johnathan was the dominant Alpha in the relationship thus it didn’t take much to know who was putting what where but Lillian was too stupid to observe such things and make those inferences.

“That is just plain weird……two Alphas on together, two Omegas on together and they have pups together and live in the same house?” spluttered Lillian wrinkling her nose “Don’t the pups find it confusing…..”

“Why would it be confusing?” asked Gregory with dislike on his face now and Mycroft stifled a smirk. “Being raised in a safe and loving environment is hardly confusing, or do you think pups being witness to and suffering the effects of domestic violence that happens in many homes of a traditional dynamic preferable because society says it is acceptable?”

Mycroft raised his eyebrows at Lillian. Oh she wasn’t happy with the conversation which had not turned out the way she wanted it, nor was she hardly the type to get into sociological discussions. She had expected Gregory to go along with and humour her in the belief like all other Alphas he was after just getting into her knickers. Instead Gregory had cleverly and neatly shut her down, though that hadn’t deterred her and she would no doubt pursue his attention again by days end. 

“Greg, can you give me a hand getting in the bakery boxes from the car?” asked Jamie, having come over and clapped a hand on his son’s shoulder unaware he had let Lillian off the hook.

"Excuse me." said Gregory politely and followed his Father.

The moment Gregory was out of hearing range Lillian directed a smug look at Mycroft.

“Oh he’s interested…..he’s just too polite to say so in front of you.” she said then sneered “They all like a sexy Omega over frigid ones like you……perhaps if you weren’t so fat and comely he might look at you the way an Alpha is meant to look at an Omega.”

With that she tossed her hair and marched away towards Aunt Margaret with the intention of recounting what Gregory had said to cause trouble.

Mycroft looked at the Omegas in the room; with the exception of Father who was cuddly they were all slender including Fiona. Maybe he should refrain from eating so much of his Fathers baking, his new trousers were already snug around his waist in just a few weeks and even Sherlock had called him Fatcroft yesterday morning.

Perhaps Lillian was correct with her bitchy comments about him being fat.


End file.
